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{{short description|Point of entry to a space enclosed by walls}}
{{About | the point of entry or exit||Gate (disambiguation)|and|Gateway (disambiguation)}}
{{Refimprove|date=September 2018}}
[[File:Gate of the BCR Headquarters Building (Bucharest, Romania).jpg|thumb|Gate from [[Bucharest]] (Romania)]]
[[File:Castel Béranger, February 16, 2013.jpg|thumb|right|[[Art Nouveau]] gate of [[Castel Béranger]] (Paris)]]
[[File:Kebun Raya Bali Candi Bentar IMG 8794.jpg|thumb|[[Candi bentar]], a typical [[Indonesia]]n gate that is often found on the islands of [[Java]] and [[Bali]]]]

A '''gate''' or '''gateway''' is a point of entry to or from a space enclosed by [[wall]]s. The word is derived from [[Proto-Germanic language|Proto-Germanic]] ''*gatan'', meaning an opening or passageway.<ref>{{Cite web|title=gate {{!}} Origin and meaning of gate by Online Etymology Dictionary|url=https://www.etymonline.com/word/gate|access-date=2025-06-15|website=www.etymonline.com|language=en}}</ref>  Gates may be designed for decorative or functional purposes, and they vary widely in style depending on architectural trends and material choices.<ref>{{cite web
|title=Contemporary Iron Gate Designs|url=https://austingaterepairs.com/contemporary-iron-gate-designs/|website=Austin Gate Repair|access-date=2025-01-01}}</ref>

Synonyms include [[yett]] (which comes from the same root word) and [[portal (architecture)|portal]]. The concept originally referred to the gap or hole in the wall or fence, rather than a [[Barricade|barrier]] which closed it. Gates may prevent or control the entry or exit of individuals, or they may be merely decorative. The moving part or parts of a gateway may be considered "[[Door|doors]]", as they are fixed at one side whilst opening and closing like one.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/gate|title=GATE {{!}} meaning in the Cambridge English Dictionary|website=dictionary.cambridge.org|language=en|access-date=2019-04-20}}</ref>

A gate might have a [[latch (hardware)|latch]] that can be raised and lowered to both open a gate or prevent it from swinging.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.gardenista.com/posts/hardware-101-gate-latches-style-guide/|title=Hardware 101: Gate Latches|date=2016-11-17|website=Gardenista|language=en-US|access-date=2019-04-20}}</ref> Gate operation can be either [[Electric gate|automated]] or manual. Locks are also used on gates to increase security. 

Larger gates can be used for a whole building, such as a [[castle]] or [[fortified town]]. Doors can also be considered gates when they are used to block entry as prevalent within a [[gatehouse]].

==Purpose-specific types of gate==
[[File:Torii de Miyajima 2.JPG|thumb|Japanese ''[[Torii]]'' at [[Itsukushima Shrine]], a [[UNESCO]] [[World Heritage Site]] in Japan, where the Hindu goddess [[Saraswati]] is worshipped as the Buddhist-Shinto goddess [[Benzaiten]]]]
* [[Baby gate]]: a safety gate to protect babies and toddlers
* [[Badger gate]]: gate to allow badgers to pass through rabbit-proof fencing
* [[City gate]] of a [[walled city]]
* [[Hampshire gate]] (a.k.a. New Zealand gate, wire gate, etc.)
* [[Kissing gate]] on a footpath
* [[Lychgate]] with a roof
* [[Mon (architecture)|Mon]] ''Japanese:'' gate. The religious [[torii]] compares to the Chinese [[Paifang|pailou]] (paifang), Indian [[torana]], Indonesian [[Paduraksa]] and Korean [[hongsalmun]]. ''Mon'' are widespread in [[Japanese garden]]s.
* [[Portcullis]] of a castle
* [[Race gate]] used for checkpoints on [[race tracks]]
* [[Slip gate]] on footpaths
* [[Turnstile]] 
* [[Watergate (architecture)|Watergate]] of a castle by navigable water
* [[Slalom skiing]] gates
* [[Wicket gate]]

==Image gallery==
<gallery>
File:Shankharacharya,Gate,Birgunj.jpg|Shankharacharya,Gate,[[Birgunj]], is main entry Point of Nepal from North [[Bihar]], India
File:Gate ajar.jpg|This gate and massive gateposts has no locks—a gate marks a [[border]]line in ownership/use and can allow passage.
File:Garden Gate.JPG|A small, elegant gate to a meadow path
File:Pergamonmuseum Babylon Ischtar-Tor.jpg|[[Ishtar Gate]] is the oldest [[city gate]] in existence
File:Wringin Lawang, Trowulan.jpg|Wringin Lawang, a 14th-century [[Majapahit]] split gate, called ''"[[Candi bentar]]"'', in [[Trowulan]], [[Java]], [[Indonesia]]
File:Ubud temple entrance.jpg|Richly decorated Indonesian [[Bali]]nese [[Balinese temple|temple]] gate called [[Paduraksa]]
File:Mahmoud Ahmadinejad at Columbia 8 by David Shankbone.jpg|This gate at [[Columbia University]] was closed to prevent entry of protesters
File:Finlayson gate1.jpg|The gate of [[Finlayson (company)|Finlayson factory]] in [[Tampere]], [[Finland]]
File:Kansai University,1923.jpg|A gate at [[Kansai University]], built in 1923
File:MalKingsPalaceGate.jpg|Malaysian King's Palace Gate, [[Kuala Lumpur]]
File:Ohrid Upper Gate close-up.jpg|Medieval ironclad city gate, from the Upper Gate in the old town of [[Ohrid]]
File:Chinese type gate from kerala.jpg|Chinese traditional type gate (iron gate in front of house) in [[Kerala, India]]
File:MuscatRoadGate.jpg|Gates decorate routes in the entrance of [[Muscat, Oman]]
File:Kuwaitgate.jpg|Kuwait Gate, historically surrounded [[Kuwait City]], built in 1929
File:Royal Military College of Canada front gates.jpg|[[Royal Military College of Canada]] front gates and [[gatehouse]]
File:Ernst Rudolph By the Entrance.jpg|Ernst Rudolph, ''By the Entrance''
File:Nivala.vaakuna.svg|A wooden gate pictured in the coat of arms of [[Nivala]]
File:Royal Mint Melbourne.jpg|Decorative [[Lists of national symbols|emblems of state]] are also fixed on gates to public buildings, old Royal [[Melbourne Mint]]
File:Shri Swaminarayan Mandir gate.jpg|Gate of Shri Swaminarayan Mandir, [[Bhavnagar]], India
File:Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar Marathwada University gate on the eve of Namvistar Din celebrations.png|Dr.Babasaheb Ambedkar Marathwada University gate on the eve of [[Namantar Andolan#Namvistar Din|Namvistar Din]] celebrations reflects [[Ajanta Caves|Ajanata]] art
File:Michael's Gate and tower-Bratislava-Slovakia.JPG|[[Michael's Gate]] in [[Bratislava]], Slovakia
File:St Louis Gateway Arch.jpg|St. Louis [[Gateway Arch]]
File:Shunfeng Park Paifang (night).jpg|A Chinese [[Paifang]] at [[Foshan]], China
File:Warszawa, ul. Krakowskie Przedmieście 26-28 20170516 001.jpg|[[Warsaw University]] main gate, Poland
File:Gate of Farm Gunsteling in Namibia (2017).jpg|Gate of Farm ''Gunsteling'' in [[Namibia]] (2017)
File:Ancient gate of Suandok temple , Chiangmai , Thailand.jpg|Thai Temple ([[wat]]) gate at [[Wat Suan Dok]], [[Chiang Mai Province|Chiang Mai]]
File:Ariyalai Mahamari Amman Kovil (அரியாலை மகாமாரி அம்மன் கோவில்).jpg|A [[gopuram]], [[Hindu temple]] gate tower, in [[Sri Lanka]]
File:Eiheiji35nt3200.jpg|A Japanese temple gate (mon) at [[Eiheiji]]
File:Puerta Torre de los siete suelos Alhambra Granada Spain.jpg|A [[Moorish architecture]] gate in [[Alhambra]], [[Granada]], [[Spain]]
File:Gate of Thai Airways in Paris.jpg|A [[French architecture|French]]-manner gate of the embassy of Thailand in Paris
File:Embassy of South Korea in Moscow, gates.jpg|Adapted-[[Korean architecture|Korean]]-manner gate of the embassy of South Korea in [[Moscow]]
File:Iron Gates-Osgoode Hall National Historic Site of Canada-Toronto-Ontario-HPC4258-20221201.jpg|The Iron Gates of [[Osgoode Hall]], [[Toronto]]
File:Waterson k51p sample4-2.jpg|Beachside gate with a self-latching device and a higher than 54” release mechanism.
File:Contemporary steel gates with naval heritage medallion on Military Road, Chatham, Kent, England.jpg|Military style gates in [[Chatham, Kent|Chatham]], [[Kent]], England.
</gallery>

==See also==
*[[City Gate]]
* [[Barricade]]
* [[Boom barrier]] (a.k.a. boom gate)
* [[Border]]
* [[Gate tower]]
* [[Gopuram]]
* [[Leave the gate as you found it]]
* [[Portal (architecture)]]
* [[Portcullis]]
* [[Threshold (disambiguation)]]
* [[Triumphal arch]]
* [[List of scandals with "-gate" suffix]]
* [[Watergate]], as used in politics

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
{{Commons category multi|Gates|Portals}}
{{Wiktionary|gate}}

{{Room}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Gates| ]]
[[Category:Doors]]
[[Category:Fortification (architectural elements)]]
[[Category:Garden features]]
[[Category:Buildings and structures by type]]